I’m not surprised when Syd appears only a moment later, Max at her side. Femke laughs and hugs her, her greeting wiping the scowl of determination from my friend’s face.
Syd grins sheepishly as Femke releases her. “I thought you’d put up a fight.”
The European leader shakes her head, patting Syd’s cheek. “I know better. Besides, I had to create at least a show of being impartial.” She turns to Gwendolyn and Finlay. “Thank you for your service,” she says. “Report later.”
The pair bow to her before turning to go, though Gwen pauses long enough for a quick embrace before leaving.
I’m focused on another as they close the door behind them, taking two steps before engulfing Syd in my arms. She hugs me back, lips cool on my cheek. She doesn’t let me go for a long moment, mind locking with mine.
One hurdle down, she sends. Just a few more to go. Ready to trot home and rescue your grandfather, crush Caine and his crew, and restore order to the Universe?
Hell yeah, I send, using one of her favorite sayings. Syd laughs and pulls back, tears glistening in her eyes.
“Just another day at the office,” she says.
“You know it.” I turn and take Sage’s hand while he leans in and kisses Syd’s cheek.
“Who knew you were a paranormal rock star,” he says.
Syd rolls her eyes, a faint blush on her cheeks. “Smartass.”
“I’m sorry to cut short the victory party, but we have something we have to talk about.” Femke’s serious tone sharpens my worry back to a razor edge. “I’m going to offer Sage a pardon, but that’s only in the witch world, you understand?”
We both nod.
“But,” Femke says, “if I do that, you realize I’ll have to offer the same to Caine and his pack.”
I stare at her in shock. “Why?”
Syd sighs and nods, Sage, too.
“Makes sense,” he says. “Logical, really. Which must then mean any attempt to remove him from the werenation will have to be handled by werewolves. Correct?”
His mind works faster than mine, but even as Femke answers, I’m nodding.
“Exactly.” Femke sits on the edge of her desk, chewing at her lower lip, icy eyes narrowed. “I wish there was a way around it. But if we’ve proved Sage—as a supposed revenant—is perfectly fine, functional, healthy, that means Caine and his people are the same. That the rules about revenants have changed.”
“Not entirely.” Max’s deep voice startles me as he speaks. Despite his massive size, I always seem to forget he’s in the room. The drach have a neutral scent when still and watchful, their aroma only apparent when they are active for some reason. Considering they are so silent when motionless, only the deep and thrumming hum of their power giving them away, I suppose it’s not surprising. I turn to him as he goes on. “It was only with sorcerous interference such a transformation from true revenant—a powerless human bitten by a werewolf—to completed evolution is possible.” His glittering eyes settle on Sage. “You wonder what is different about you, what made you what you are and not like Caine?”
I catch my breath, waiting for Max to go on while Sage bows his head to the giant drach.
“I’d like to know,” my love says.
“We all would,” Syd says while Femke nods.
Max shifts his weight, a tiny frown furrowing his brow, the faint gray tone of his skin darkening a little. “We have long been curious about your kind,” he says. “We drach have watched your trapped state with some empathy but have been unable to assist, restrained as we were from interfering with this plane due to Fate’s instructions.”
“We have so much to thank her for,” Syd says with sarcasm and a grimace.
Max nods sadly. “It is my belief,” he says, choosing not to comment on Fate’s instructions, “the fact you were bitten by a were in full wolf form rather than a were in half shape meant an alteration of the power transfer from him to you.”
Epiphany sparkles set off like fireworks in my head. “That’s it!” I turn to Sage, completing the explanation that makes perfect sense to me. “Caine bit you when he was in full wolf form, in control of all of his power.”
“And that negated the trigger built in by the Black Souls?” Femke’s voice is eager and I realize she loves the information chase far more than anything else. I know this is going in her file.
“The revenants you found here,” I say to her, “must have been infected by weres in wereshape. But Caine chose to bite Sage as a wolf.” I grin at my love. “And gave him a gift he didn’t know he was granting.”
“Neither did Rupe, it seems,” Femke says, shaking her head with a smile. “So now we know converting humans to werewolves doesn’t have to be a death sentence.”
“Though,” Max’s deep rumble interrupts, “I advise heavily against completely abolishing that particular law.” He meets my eyes, power swirling in the diamonds of his. “Perhaps initiation similar to creating new vampires would be more prudent.”
With consent and full cooperation from the ruler of the pack.
I squeeze Sage’s hand, all doubt now gone in a wash of relief. “That means he is different from Caine,” I say. “And we can take him down.”
Femke winces, shakes her head. “Maybe not,” she says. “If he’s turned full wolf, too, we’re back where we started.”
Anger burns a slow and steady fire. “You said you’d step in if things were falling apart,” I say, desperate to find a way to make this work.
Femke’s blue eyes are sad as she reaches out and takes my hand. “You know I can’t do that, Charlotte.” She squeezes my fingers in hers. “If the Council takes over rule of your people, it will be for a very long time, not just what it takes to sort out this mess. I would really rather your people worked out their own issues if possible.”
She’s absolutely right, and yet I suddenly feel helpless. If Caine and his people are accepted as werewolves, this has gone back to being an internal matter with only one recourse.
I’ll have to challenge the Californian who sits on my grandfather’s throne. Not that I’m afraid. But if he has managed to gain the support of my people—which it sounds like he has—such a challenge could be turned down by popular vote and leave me exposed and vulnerable.
“Caine is now wereking,” Sage says. Numb and unable to think, I let him go on. “That means we’ll be dealing with a werewolf motivated to see me dead regardless of my status.”
“Except,” Syd says, “if Femke backs you and you can prove he and his people are also humans bitten and turned, he will have to accept you.”
There is that. “We need to take back the throne,” I say. “And there’s only one way to do it.”
“Two,” Sage says, voice soft. “We can convince the werenation—as Caine did to Oleksander—he is unfit for the throne.”
I still can’t believe he succeeded. “No,” I say, pulling away from Femke, from all of them, my wolf chuffing her angry agreement in my head. “In order to remove Caine from the throne, he must be challenged and defeated by the one who would rule after him.”
I guess if this works, I’m going to be werequeen after all.
Someone knocks on the door, startling the group of us. All but Max who turns his big head, diamond eyes catching the light and making me think of the opulent palace I’m about to storm by force. When Femke walks over to answer it, I already know who is on the other side from the feel of their magic, and their scent coming through the cracks around the door.
Isabelle and Maksym look relieved to see me, the slim, honey haired vampire waiting for the hulking werewolf who is her boyfriend to hug me before taking her turn. Maks eyes Sage, though when my love offers his hand, the wereguard takes it firmly in his own without a hint of hesitation.
The slumped-shouldered were behind them won’t meet my eyes, but his desperation seems to be gone as Raoul salutes Femke.
“I was unable to free Oleksander from his prison,” my father says without preamble, voice dull and tired. “But there are enough of the werenation unhappy with how things have turned to pursue an assault on the palace.”
“Why,” I growl at him, “if they were so against Caine taking the throne and deposing my grandfather, are they having this sudden change of heart?” Traitors, the lot of them. How am I to rule those who would stab me in the back at the least provocation? Or trust them to uphold my challenge when I make it?
I need to have more empathy for my people. They have been through so much, taught to mistrust and be suspicious, beaten down for centuries. A handful of years of freedom haven’t been enough to change their way of thinking.
Still, my grandfather has been beloved by my people all along. Why would they do this to him?
My father ducks his head in shame. “Because he had no family to support him.”
I’m supposed to feel my own regret, I suppose, and guilt over my defection in favor of Sage. But all I can do is simmer in anger at my father.
“When Caine speaks,” Raoul says, “the werenation listens.” A frown creases Syd’s face, and Femke’s. “Even the most staunch supporters of the Moreau family turned against my father.” Tears trickle through new lines around Raoul’s eyes, the deep frown grooves that pull at his mouth, aged beyond his years. “Even I doubted Oleksander when I came to hear Caine speak.” He shakes his head. “Unthinkable.”
“No,” Syd says. “There’s another word for it.” She swears softly. “Coercion.”
Femke nods, grim and angry. “He’s using magic against them.”
“You’re really surprised?” Syd begins to pace, past Max who watches her back and forth with glittering eyes. “They’ve been so honest and forthright all along, haven’t they?” Her sarcasm cuts deep. “This revelation is hardly a shocker.”
Maybe not, but it feeds my own fury. “If it can be done,” I say, “it can be undone.”
Syd stops her pacing. “Sounds like it’s only a temporary influence?” She focuses on Raoul who nods, swallowing his grief as he visibly seems to realize what they are talking about.
“They made us believe?” My father’s wolf emerges as his snout elongates then goes back to human shape, a sure sign of his rising rage. “They forced us to turn against our own?”
Femke nods, sighs heavily. “I’m afraid so.” Her magic sparkles around her hand as she reaches for my father. He stands there, eyes wide, staring at her like a terrified animal, as her power gently settles around him a moment before dropping away. “Just traces left,” she says. “It must be a close-contact coercion.”
Syd’s scowl makes her look like her mother. “He can’t have the power he needs to make it permanent for so many people,” she says.
“Of course,” Femke says. “It must be a field of some kind, localized. That way, when the werewolves are in the presence of Caine or Rupe, they don’t argue.”
“And,” I say with a sad sigh, knowing my people very well, “even once free of it, they would not argue with their change of heart without good reason.” All that ingrained obedience has led us astray yet again.
Raoul’s hands fist at his sides. “I felt nothing,” he says. “I blamed myself for my weakness and that of the werewolves around me. I had no idea.”
“If Charlotte is right,” Syd says, “which she likely is, that was probably the plan.” Syd meets my eyes. “Doubt they wanted it to be public knowledge. So a field like that, something with influence but not permanent, would serve them well.”
“It would make our detection outside the werenation palace all the harder,” Femke says, “and keep their secret. Which it has.”
Until now. I shake my head, mind churning, searching my power for such an ability. But the wolf in me growls her anger at such a thought, that we would be capable of forcing others to believe. Wolves don’t need such power. “It couldn’t have been Caine,” I say. Sage grunts agreement, wincing. “We just aren’t capable of such an act.” Even he. I can’t bring myself to believe his wolf could be so corrupt.
“So their sorcerer handler has to be in on the action,” Syd says, with an evil gleam of glee in her eyes. “Which means I get to have a little chat with Rupe after all this time.” She’s more a wolf at times than I am, I think.
“We will gather our army of werewolves loyal to the true king outside the palace grounds,” Raoul says, voice vibrating with passion. “I will tell them of this deception, that they have been lied to and coerced. Our people will rebel when they know they are being controlled. And we will unseat this pretender and return Oleksander to his throne.”
Femke flinches, covers her ears with her hands and hums off tune. When Raoul falls silent, she shrugs. “You didn’t say that out loud in front of me,” she says. “If the leader of the European Council heard of plans to usurp the duly chosen king of the werenation from his throne, I would have to act to stop you.” She takes a step to the door, pulls it open. “If you’ll excuse me,” she says, “I’ll be powdering my nose in the ladies.”
Syd snorts as Femke leaves. “Now that,” she says, jabbing at the door, “is a Council Leader.”
I nod slowly, wishing there was more Femke could do, but grateful to her for her willingness to let us act.
“How soon can we move?” I turn to my father who even still barely meets my eyes.
“I’ll need a day,” he says. “To do recon and make sure we have an extraction plan for your grandfather in place.” His hands clench at his sides. “Your sorcerer friends are already working something out.”
I remember then Ethpeal and Demetrius went with him and feel better instantly.
“I’ll give you an extraction plan,” Syd says. “Tell me where he is and I’ll go get him right now.”
I could hug her.
“Let’s hold off,” Maks says. “We don’t want to tip off Caine what we’re planning.”
“He has to know we’re up to something,” I say. “Roman and Viveca would have reported in by now.” Likely, they had their own transportation, perhaps with Rupe himself or another sorcerer he worked with. Even if they had to use more conventional means, a simple phone call would have given Caine the advanced warning he needs to prepare for us. Because he has to know I’m coming for him.
If he doesn’t, he’s a fool and about to find out what it’s like to cross a Moreau.
Still, I nod to Maks. “One day,” I say. “We attack at this time tomorrow.” Probably a good idea, anyway. I need sleep, so does Sage. And food. And a shower. Time to rest and prepare my mind. I turn to Syd who nods, stepping back to Max’s side as the pair begin to glow with diamond light.
“All right,” she says. “We’ll see you shortly.” Her mind touches mine as the veil opens and she and Max turn to enter the gap. I’ll save Oleksander, she sends. I promise you that.
If he’s still alive when we reach him, I send, letting her feel my practical acceptance. Thank you.
She doesn’t answer, just leaves with the big drach leader, and I let her go. Suddenly tired, I watch Maks and Isabelle leave, Raoul pausing behind them, half-turning to me as though wanting to say something. But he, too, files out, Femke slipping in after him, gesturing to Sage and me.
“I have quarters for you both,” she says. “If you’ll follow Daniel, he’ll show you the way.” A slim page with too-long brown hair and an impish grin bounces on his toes outside the door. Sage goes with him, but Femke holds me back when I try to follow.
She stares into my eyes for a long moment before sighing heavily and releasing her grip on my arm.
“I told you once before, you can trust me,” she says. “I feel like I’ve failed you, Charlotte.”
I move to shake my head, to deny her words, but she stops me with a small, sad smile. “You needed me—you needed us—and we followed the rules. Left you out in the cold, on your own. You amaze me, do you know that?” I simply stare at her, speechless. I admire her and her strength so much, it’s a bit of a shock to realize the feeling is mutual. “I want you to know, no matter what or how bad things look, I will never abandon you for the stupid rules ever again.” Her fierceness wakes my wolf. “Witches are stubborn creatures, hidebound and frustrating. And I’ve struggled to lead my covens into more forward thinking. But I won’t permit a friend to fall when she’s in the right, even if it means stepping down from leadership.”
I could never allow her to do that. But I appreciate the sentiment and her loyalty. I kiss her cheek gently, let her feel the calm and determination of my wolf.
“Anything, anytime, for you, Femke,” I say. And leave her there, tears on her cheeks, following after Sage while my heart warms and heals.
What have I done to deserve such friends?
***